Audrey Newcomb
Sustainability Problems
Film Annotation: “China Revs UP” “World in Balance: China Revs Up,” Produced and Direction by: Chris Schmidt, released 2008
“China Revs Up” argues that China’s economic growth since the 1970s has occurred with little regard for the environment. According to “China Revs Up,” China’s economy currently grows 8% every year. One of their biggest industries is steel production and 75% of the energy they use comes from coal. However, there are no standards in place to regulate the emissions from coal or their growing fleet of cars. The main argument of the film is that China has developed at a fast rate and its environmental legislation and incorporation of new and cleaner technologies has not kept up. Economist Simon Kuznet has predicted that uncontrolled emission often accompany economic growth before becoming controlled. Even if China grows to the point that they are able to control their emissions, the way that they will achieve such a reduction is unknown.
Although China could adopt stricter car emission standards, the infrastructure for cars is already in place and is a problem in itself. China has established highways and converted to an automobile culture. I found this conversion to be one of the most fascinating parts of the film. When faced with the decision to purchase a personal vehicle or continue riding bikes, citizens are now biased towards the personal vehicle. In China the car is being elevated to the same status that it holds in America; it is becoming a symbol of success, independence, and freedom. One Chinese family reasoned that they are considering converting from bike to car because the bus is too crowded, it’s too cold to bicycle in the winter, and they feel it is too dangerous to drive their daughter around on a bike. There were no reasons given as to why 4x4 clubs are becoming more popular in China. “China Revs Up” argues that more Chinese families don’t need to convert to a car because the roads are becoming overcrowded and more importantly, “by 2030 China could match U.S. in CO2 emissions.”
Considering the environmental repercussions that could surface as a result of increasing the number of automobiles in China, the first step that China should take is to upgrade their auto-emissions standards from the Euro 2 standards to Euro 5 or even Euro 6. Some Chinese cities are implementing these standards but the Chinese government should promptly initiate improved national standards (“Shanghai”). China could then focus its workforce on building mass transportation. One of the problems facing the Chinese government they need to “create 50 million new jobs each year.” Creating a clean, safe, coordinated, non-crowded, and expansive public transportation system would employ lots of people and at many different levels of education. China should then also articulate their plans to reduce emissions to America. This is a very important step because although America is worried about China’s growing emissions, we are currently the world’s biggest emitter of CO2. Although it is important that China articulate their plan to reduce emissions, their plan should not stipulate action from anyone else. As an American citizen “dealing” with China, the only appropriate action is to reform American transportation as previously described for China. We cannot make these recommendations to China before we have accomplished them ourselves, and we cannot stipulate any of our actions on someone else’s. America should be more conscious of “exporting our lifestyle.” For example, the popularity of SUVs can be credited to nothing more than fashion and advertising. Very few people in America or China have a need for an SUV. America could stop promoting SUVs. There is no need for us to perpetuate a culture in love with large vehicles with pseudo-green legislation like “clash for clunkers.”
Pseudo-green legislation is a sustainability problem that “China Revs Up” lightly touches on. When one woman goes shopping for a new family car, the car salesman raves that the cars are completely compliant with the Euro 2 standards despite the fact that Euro 2 standards are not the most recent or stringent car emission standards. Emission standards are pseudo-green legislation themselves because they promote the idea that limiting the amount of emissions makes driving okay, when evaluating the actual need to convert to a car-based infrastructure should be considered as well. Another sustainability problem involves the tradeoff between poverty and progress. China’s increased emissions and environmental problems resulted after China’s leader implemented birth control legislation and stimulated the economy and steel industry. Placing environmental standards on factory emissions can often close the factory and put people out of work. The tradeoff between poverty and progress (as described by the Kuznet curve) is a sustainability concern. The comfortable level of Chinese life has been elevated but the means for achieving that end has harmed the environment. And although the changes in Chinese life are generally categorized as an improvement, respiratory problems are on a rise. It can be difficult to reconcile environmental protection with comfort of living.
The film was targeted for American viewers. The film attempted to convince viewers that China is a sustainability problem because they are now affecting America. This is a very egotistic approach. The film began with American scientists testing the air quality of the west coast and confirming that the pulses of pollution are being blown in from across the Pacific. “China Revs Up” makes the American scientists’ conclusions seem like a novel revelation. How many other scientists have stood on their shores and concluded the incoming pollution was from America? The most recent copy of “Adbusters” uses data from the Global Footprint Network to show the footprints of 12 different nations. The United States has a footprint of 9.02 while China has a footprint of 1.80. Perhaps research into footprint criteria would reveal that China’s figure could soon outgrow America’s (or even the United Arab Emirates at 10.29). However, I am not convinced that China’s growth is an immediate concern for Americans.
Viewing “China Revs Up” could have been a better experience if I knew more about China’s history. I do not understand how China grew to its current size if it has only 7% of the world’s arable land and if life as a farmer has always been difficult. How come this environmental limitation did not limit the growth of China? Somehow a natural control on population was circumvented and now there are over 1.3 billion Chinese citizens who do not have the local resources to feed their whole population (Rosenberg). In order to sustain the population of China it does not seem feasible to adhere to the axiom of “eat local food.” Instead, sustaining the Chinese population bolsters the argument for global economies; China’s success at steel production can be used as a commodity for trading for food. I am not well versed in the fundamentals of globalism but I think that globalism is often under criticism for creating an unsustainable world. I am also curious about China’s government. Towards the end of the movie it was mentioned that China was ruled by the Communist party and there was a “limited tolerance for dissent.” They also mentioned how one leader committed to birth control and industrial growth in order to propel China out of its famine. The way in which a government was able to affect such significant change is very important in solving sustainability problems. Researching China’s government and comparing it to America’s would give me a basis on which to formulate my ideas of what a role government should play in creating a sustainable world. “China Revs Up” prompts me to seek out further information how China historically feed itself, the changes in structure its government has gone through, and the benefits and drawbacks of engaging in a global economy.
“China Revs Up” describes China’s problems to American viewers. In order to enhance the environmental education of this film, the problems China is experiencing should have been elevated to a more universal level. Looking at a different society that has made some of the same mistakes as America is a very good chance for Americans to become critical of themselves. Because China has emulated America in many ways, Americans are given a chance to look at some of the values of American society from the outside. “China Revs Up” did not do a good job at making viewers feel ashamed about our values. Watching the Chinese shop and stop to listen to a man advertise a vegetable puree thing should have been a more comical scene. I should have felt silly for all the times that a salesperson has convinced me. I have no experience with 4x4s, but if I did, I would have wanted the 4x4ing scene to make my feel silly about driving a car around on dirt hills. Viewers at least should have stopped and thought about their own experiences of shopping or 4x4ing or buying a car and reconsidered how they could have spent their time. The presentation of these scenes were matter of fact and not comical or critical at all. I would like to have felt more ashamed about being a consumer after watching this film.
Sustainability Problems
Film Annotation: “China Revs UP”
“World in Balance: China Revs Up,” Produced and Direction by: Chris Schmidt, released 2008
“China Revs Up” argues that China’s economic growth since the 1970s has occurred with little regard for the environment. According to “China Revs Up,” China’s economy currently grows 8% every year. One of their biggest industries is steel production and 75% of the energy they use comes from coal. However, there are no standards in place to regulate the emissions from coal or their growing fleet of cars. The main argument of the film is that China has developed at a fast rate and its environmental legislation and incorporation of new and cleaner technologies has not kept up. Economist Simon Kuznet has predicted that uncontrolled emission often accompany economic growth before becoming controlled. Even if China grows to the point that they are able to control their emissions, the way that they will achieve such a reduction is unknown.
Although China could adopt stricter car emission standards, the infrastructure for cars is already in place and is a problem in itself. China has established highways and converted to an automobile culture. I found this conversion to be one of the most fascinating parts of the film. When faced with the decision to purchase a personal vehicle or continue riding bikes, citizens are now biased towards the personal vehicle. In China the car is being elevated to the same status that it holds in America; it is becoming a symbol of success, independence, and freedom. One Chinese family reasoned that they are considering converting from bike to car because the bus is too crowded, it’s too cold to bicycle in the winter, and they feel it is too dangerous to drive their daughter around on a bike. There were no reasons given as to why 4x4 clubs are becoming more popular in China. “China Revs Up” argues that more Chinese families don’t need to convert to a car because the roads are becoming overcrowded and more importantly, “by 2030 China could match U.S. in CO2 emissions.”
Considering the environmental repercussions that could surface as a result of increasing the number of automobiles in China, the first step that China should take is to upgrade their auto-emissions standards from the Euro 2 standards to Euro 5 or even Euro 6. Some Chinese cities are implementing these standards but the Chinese government should promptly initiate improved national standards (“Shanghai”). China could then focus its workforce on building mass transportation. One of the problems facing the Chinese government they need to “create 50 million new jobs each year.” Creating a clean, safe, coordinated, non-crowded, and expansive public transportation system would employ lots of people and at many different levels of education. China should then also articulate their plans to reduce emissions to America. This is a very important step because although America is worried about China’s growing emissions, we are currently the world’s biggest emitter of CO2. Although it is important that China articulate their plan to reduce emissions, their plan should not stipulate action from anyone else. As an American citizen “dealing” with China, the only appropriate action is to reform American transportation as previously described for China. We cannot make these recommendations to China before we have accomplished them ourselves, and we cannot stipulate any of our actions on someone else’s. America should be more conscious of “exporting our lifestyle.” For example, the popularity of SUVs can be credited to nothing more than fashion and advertising. Very few people in America or China have a need for an SUV. America could stop promoting SUVs. There is no need for us to perpetuate a culture in love with large vehicles with pseudo-green legislation like “clash for clunkers.”
Pseudo-green legislation is a sustainability problem that “China Revs Up” lightly touches on. When one woman goes shopping for a new family car, the car salesman raves that the cars are completely compliant with the Euro 2 standards despite the fact that Euro 2 standards are not the most recent or stringent car emission standards. Emission standards are pseudo-green legislation themselves because they promote the idea that limiting the amount of emissions makes driving okay, when evaluating the actual need to convert to a car-based infrastructure should be considered as well. Another sustainability problem involves the tradeoff between poverty and progress. China’s increased emissions and environmental problems resulted after China’s leader implemented birth control legislation and stimulated the economy and steel industry. Placing environmental standards on factory emissions can often close the factory and put people out of work. The tradeoff between poverty and progress (as described by the Kuznet curve) is a sustainability concern. The comfortable level of Chinese life has been elevated but the means for achieving that end has harmed the environment. And although the changes in Chinese life are generally categorized as an improvement, respiratory problems are on a rise. It can be difficult to reconcile environmental protection with comfort of living.
The film was targeted for American viewers. The film attempted to convince viewers that China is a sustainability problem because they are now affecting America. This is a very egotistic approach. The film began with American scientists testing the air quality of the west coast and confirming that the pulses of pollution are being blown in from across the Pacific. “China Revs Up” makes the American scientists’ conclusions seem like a novel revelation. How many other scientists have stood on their shores and concluded the incoming pollution was from America? The most recent copy of “Adbusters” uses data from the Global Footprint Network to show the footprints of 12 different nations. The United States has a footprint of 9.02 while China has a footprint of 1.80. Perhaps research into footprint criteria would reveal that China’s figure could soon outgrow America’s (or even the United Arab Emirates at 10.29). However, I am not convinced that China’s growth is an immediate concern for Americans.
Viewing “China Revs Up” could have been a better experience if I knew more about China’s history. I do not understand how China grew to its current size if it has only 7% of the world’s arable land and if life as a farmer has always been difficult. How come this environmental limitation did not limit the growth of China? Somehow a natural control on population was circumvented and now there are over 1.3 billion Chinese citizens who do not have the local resources to feed their whole population (Rosenberg). In order to sustain the population of China it does not seem feasible to adhere to the axiom of “eat local food.” Instead, sustaining the Chinese population bolsters the argument for global economies; China’s success at steel production can be used as a commodity for trading for food. I am not well versed in the fundamentals of globalism but I think that globalism is often under criticism for creating an unsustainable world. I am also curious about China’s government. Towards the end of the movie it was mentioned that China was ruled by the Communist party and there was a “limited tolerance for dissent.” They also mentioned how one leader committed to birth control and industrial growth in order to propel China out of its famine. The way in which a government was able to affect such significant change is very important in solving sustainability problems. Researching China’s government and comparing it to America’s would give me a basis on which to formulate my ideas of what a role government should play in creating a sustainable world. “China Revs Up” prompts me to seek out further information how China historically feed itself, the changes in structure its government has gone through, and the benefits and drawbacks of engaging in a global economy.
“China Revs Up” describes China’s problems to American viewers. In order to enhance the environmental education of this film, the problems China is experiencing should have been elevated to a more universal level. Looking at a different society that has made some of the same mistakes as America is a very good chance for Americans to become critical of themselves. Because China has emulated America in many ways, Americans are given a chance to look at some of the values of American society from the outside. “China Revs Up” did not do a good job at making viewers feel ashamed about our values. Watching the Chinese shop and stop to listen to a man advertise a vegetable puree thing should have been a more comical scene. I should have felt silly for all the times that a salesperson has convinced me. I have no experience with 4x4s, but if I did, I would have wanted the 4x4ing scene to make my feel silly about driving a car around on dirt hills. Viewers at least should have stopped and thought about their own experiences of shopping or 4x4ing or buying a car and reconsidered how they could have spent their time. The presentation of these scenes were matter of fact and not comical or critical at all. I would like to have felt more ashamed about being a consumer after watching this film.
References:
“Adbusters,” March 2010
Rosenberg, Matt. "China Population." About. N.p., 30 Jul 2008. Web. 14 Mar 2010. <http://geography.about.com/od/populationgeography/a/chinapopulation.htm>.
"Shanghai to invoke Euro5 emissions standards." China Car Times Green. N.p., 27 May 2009. Web. 14 Mar 2010. <http://green.chinacartimes.com/2009/05/shanghai-to-invoke-euro5-emissions-standards/>.